


Affirmation

by hawkeing_eta



Series: Definition of Found Family [13]
Category: Persona 2, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Family, Gen, M/M, Memory Alteration, Smoking, Somewhat Disturbing Imagery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 11:10:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17385362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawkeing_eta/pseuds/hawkeing_eta
Summary: “Jun. Please,” Tatsuya begged as he leaned in closer, eyeing across the subway car. So many people had crammed themselves in. More of the foul liquid kept seeping through the bottom the door. Tatsuya didn’t notice himself instinctively pulling Jun closer. “I need you to remember. He needs it.”[Canon Divergence/AU where Tatsuya and Jun are Akira's parents and more involved in his life during his probation]





	1. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ? ? ?

“I shall grant you the opportunity to make a deal with me.” 

Joker supposed he was meant to feel grateful for such an honor of even the consideration. It was disgusting, that overconfident and snide demeanor. Those cold, piercing eyes bore into him. Joker tried not to shift under that intense and intrusive gaze. 

“Should you wish it, I shall return the world to its prior state.” 

Joker’s eyes widened behind that mask. That uncanny smile widened even more. It caught the string and made Joker’s insides twist. 

“One rampant with distorted masses.” 

The young girl, Lavenza, yelled out. A biting protest and rebuttal, if Joker had to guess. He was too caught up in the offer to hear. “Igor” smiled. His already unnatural proportions stretched further. 

“The Phantom Thieves will be praised and gain fame. The world will escape ruin as well.” 

A faint tang of bile settled in the back of Joker’s throat. They had lost once. He wasn’t sure if cutting a deal would still be considered a loss or a stalemate. The odds didn’t settle right. And yet his hands felt weak at his sides, like his heart pounding in his ears. The past year had been grueling, cruel. For the first time, Akira had felt like someone. His life had purpose and he found something he could call completely his own. He made a difference to so many people’s lives. 

A thief would take an opportunity to get ahead. And here was a once in a lifetime opportunity perfectly presented in an impossible situation. 

It wasn’t a bad life, the one he had. Just a little empty. 

Joker felt those concerned golden eyes of Lavenza’s staring him down. His silence must have been concerning. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her. Even at the consideration of taking the deal, it felt a cheap win. But the indirect attention was intoxicating. The showmanship came as easily as breathing. A selfish part of him clinged to the idea of staying a Phantom Thief. A deceived calling.

_ I just want you to be careful moving forward. _

Joker’s thoughts halted. A cold rush of shame washed over him. 

_ Your goals are too lofty and the lack of satisfaction that will bring will lead you down a road you will not recover from. _

His father’s words felt like an anchor. They echoed in the back of his mind, catching like thorns in the soft strings of compliance. A cracked, smiling mask and desperate piercing eyes unflinching as they stared down the barrel of a pistol. The bile tasted heavier. 

Reckless and blind ambition created an inhuman hatred and destruction. 

Joker thought of Akechi. His eyes screwed shut and he remembers the promise he had made with him and those pleading eyes. He remembered how sick he had felt having no choice but to walk away. It was still hard to acknowledge exactly what it was that he had felt that night.  Grief still crept up his spine, cold and heavy, and his throat closed. Akechi was more than just a cautionary tale. Akira felt a connection that never became fully realized and never would. 

His chest felt fit to burst at the disgust he felt at himself. 

“…What say you?”


	2. A Shift in Cognition

The bed was cold when Tatsuya woke up. It felt empty and the lights in the hotel room were off. Tatsuya rubbed at the sleep in his eyes, groggily pushing himself up onto his elbow. The city lights outside poured in through the dark window catching the dust settling. It was too early to be up. Even with the artificial lights, the night sky was still dark. It looked nowhere close to raising yet. 

His hand dragged down the side of his face as Tatsuya tried to wake up, jaw rough with stubble. He glanced toward the door to the bathroom. The light was off. When he looked to the other side of the small bed, it was as neatly made as it could be with someone still sleeping in it. A small digital clock was on the nightstand beside the bed. The glowing green numbers said it was just after two in the morning. Jun had no intention of returning anytime soon. 

With a tired sigh Tatsuya reached for his phone by his pillow. 

The screen was too bright for the time of night. He rubbed his forehead and scrunched his eyes closed as the chat application loaded. 

> **New Message:**
> 
> **[Tatsuya] > [Jun]**
> 
> **[Tatsuya]:** where are you?

His fingers pinched at the bridge of his nose as his phone flopped down onto the covers. Jun hadn’t taken long to respond. 

> **[Jun]:** I’m sorry. I’m just outside the lobby.

It was enough to get Tatsuya up and out of bed to go check on him. He was worried something like this would happen again. He couldn’t find any fault. Worry still gnawed at his own conscience. A bad habit they both shared and were equally bad at hiding. With that probing his mind and still trying to wake up, it took Tatsuya longer than he thought to find where his pants had gone.

There was something strange about a hotel’s hallways this time of night. No one should be up and about. He hadn’t been aware that fluorescent lights as they gently buzz overhead in the cloudy silence could feel so judgemental. Tatsuya tugged his jacket tighter around himself as he waited for the elevator. 

A lone receptionist sat at the front desk. She looked young and tired as she kept her eyes down at the monitor in front of her. Tatsuya quietly walked past through the lobby and out the main entrance. He bit back a yawn as the doors slid closed behind him. 

The air is crisp and bitter. Maybe he missed the warmth of the hotel bed or the worry creeping up his back marred his judgement, but it felt unseasonably cold. His hands buried deep into his pockets of his jacket. Tatsuya wasn’t sure how hard he would need to pull. 

Stepping towards the sidewalk, the familiar and stale smell of a cigarette caught his attention even in the muddied air of the city. Down the walkway by a lamp post was Jun. Their eyes met and at least Jun had the decency to look ashamed. The smile he offered Tatsuya’s hard glare was barely worth the energy. 

Jun pulled what was left of his cigarette away from his lips when Tatsuya approached. 

“I thought you’d take longer.” Jun kept that flimsy smile as his eyes stayed down. 

“You quit.”

“Sorry.” Jun hadn’t fought when Tatsuya took what was left of the cigarette from Jun’s fingers and let it fall to the sidewalk. He twisted it into the cement with his boot. Jun watched with a dejected acceptance. His arms crossed over his chest and Tatsuya wondered if he was simply ignoring the biting cold or if he felt it at all. 

If it was anything like what was weighing on Tatsuya, he had an idea of what was hanging over Jun like a heavy overcast. 

“It’s more than just what’s going to happen,” Tatsuya finally said. His voice was as fleeting as the warm puff of air that dissipated in the chill. 

Jun rubbed a hand over his arm and looked out across the city street. 

“I’m not sure what it is, but you can feel it, can’t you?” Jun admitted. Tatsuya understood. He wasn’t sure if it was just the guilt weighing on him or Niijima’s warning of what was unavoidable. Knots tangled in his lungs. 

Jun fidgetted and Tatsuya could feel it. 

“The strings,” Tatsuya said. Jun finally looked to him, fingers twisting around his wrist. His eyes fell shut in understanding.

“How did all of this happen?” 

It had felt like a rhetorical question so Tatsuya let it linger in the air. He didn’t like the implication but Jun kept his head up despite this small step back. His eyes were still sharp and clear. Maybe it hadn’t been so rhetorical. Strings tugged. Tatsuya squared his shoulders against the chill. 

“Nothing happens without purpose,” Jun finally continued. His eyes drifted out across the street once again. He was looking for the connections they were missing. They lingered just out of grasp but Tatsuya was grateful for that small flame still burning in those eyes. “Akira hadn’t simply stumbled his way into this situation. Despite how accidental this all may seem to have started, I have my doubts.”

“So who’s responsible?” Tatsuya prompted. He already knew how Jun would answer. 

“It’s impossible to say,” Jun said with an imposed sigh. “We don’t even know when this could have started. Was it his stumblings into that place and deciding to save his friend? Or was it that night back home when we got that phone call? It’s likely to have even been before any of that.” Tatsuya caught the way Jun’s fingers clenched and that pointed look in his eye. “Was he destined for this, or would this have played out without him?”

Jun quieted. They both stood in the cold winter night, city lights downcasted in indifferent observance. Tatsuya felt there was no ground for him to stand on. He had felt like that for a while. 

“At least with us, we knew when everything went wrong,” Jun said. He stared out, focused on nothing but that one moment of weakness when he should have changed his mind. 

“Don’t dwell on it.” Tatsuya heard his own irony. Jun looked to him, and Tatsuya saw the skepticism in that side glance, the way his shoulders stayed stiff and back straight. A string let loose and Jun’s shoulders sank as he sighs. His small smile is burdened but the acceptance is a step. 

Jun nodded. 

A car passed by as the wind picked up. The chill bit harder. Jun brought his hand up to bite at his cuticle. It seemed more of a desire to do something with his hands than out of anxious distress. Still, Tatsuya reached out and pulled that hand away. He gently tugged. Jun got the idea. His head bowed as he tried to hide his smile and he relented. Tatsuya lead them back inside. 

Tatsuya did not like the implications of all this either. It felt different, but there was no way to tell for sure. 

 

Sakura placed two cups of fresh coffee on the counter in front of Tatsuya and Jun. A small “Thank you,” left Jun as he tugged one closer to himself. He toyed with the rim of the porcelain cup idly. Steam rose between his fingers. Tatsuya did not feel like upsetting his empty stomach with caffeine, either. Sakura did not notice or made a point not to say anything. Tatsuya appreciated the gesture. 

The man was trying to stay busy despite the lull in business. Heavy creases weighed down his brow despite the calm and aloof front he kept up. He offered easy smiles for any customer who happened in. They were few and far between. Tatsuya wondered if Sakura prefered it this way today. An elderly couple took a seat at the booth behind Tatsuya’s seat at the counter. Sakura needed to keep up pleasantries. 

Tatsuya turned his cup on the small plate. It scraped against the countertop.

Jun watched with an arched brow. The tiny screech of porcelain against porcelain was grating. Tatsuya pulled his hand away, flinching under those eyes. Jun turned his attention back to his phone, absently scrolling through what looked like a forum site. His fingers are light against the cracked screen. Tatsuya took his cup of coffee and finally took a sip. Perhaps once things calmed down again, he could see about getting it fixed or replaced. The coffee had grown a little cold. It was just on the side of too bitter as well. It still felt like a polite reconsileance. 

The kind elderly couple was served and Sakura returned behind the counter. He leaned back against the shelves of jarred coffee beans, close to the old-style register and yellow rotary phone, not far from Jun. Sakura pulled out a newspaper. Jun didn’t notice. The atmosphere was thick as they all stayed silent. An itch burned just under Tatsuya’s skin to get up and leave. He stayed sitting. He took another sip of the coffee and tried not to bite down into the cup itself with the awkward tension. 

He hated having to wait. 

The weather report on the television tucked in the corner ended and a young news anchor directed the topic back to local news.

“Days after the initial report, there is still no new developments regarding the disappearance of the young detective prodigy, Akechi Goro.” Tatsuya shifted his eyes towards the screen. “Affectionately called a ‘Detective Prince’ by many of his fans, he has been a crucial player in many of the mysterious cases plaguing Tokyo this past year, including the bizarre actions of the train conductor that resulted in the subway accident last April. Akechi’s most recent case involved the strange confessions of criminals, all connected and targeted by the same rogue group.”

The coffee turned sour in Tatsuya’s mouth. The image of Akira, broken body and spirit he had dragged into the cafe that night haunted him all over again. Tatsuya swallowed it down and set the cup down slowly. 

“Police doubt the existence of the fictitious group mentioned in the calling cards calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, and do not currently suspect homicide. If anyone has any new information regarding the young man, please contact your local officials. All calls will be anonymous.” 

A small huff of a scoff left Jun. Tatsuya turned. Jun kept scrolling through his phone. It was an odd thing to do and Tatsuya stared at him. 

“‘Phantom Thieves…’” Jun mumbled as he leaned a little deeper into his propped up hand, “That sounds like something from a manga.” 

Sakura scoffed this time. Tatsuya felt his heart cram into his throat. 

“You’re joking, right?” Sakura said, half smirking as he dropped the newspaper and looked down at Jun. A brow was raised and Jun met that questioning look. “Didn’t peg you as someone to make light of this.” 

“Hm?” Jun’s head tilted as his brows knit together, trying to make sense of the man’s comment. 

Tatsuya took a deep breath, catching Jun’s eyes. He kept that gaze locked. 

“Jun,” he started softly. Jun’s eyes were attentive. He grew serious at Tatsuya’s brief hesitation as he tried to sort through the words he wanted, wrestling with the question to leave his mouth. “Why are we here?” It was a probe. A test of the waters. Jun caught on and bit.

“To visit Akira,” he responded simply. A part of Tatsuya was relieved. It wasn’t completely missing and he could work with this. Worry marred Jun’s face. The way he tensed up in his seat, Tatsuya knew he was catching on. 

Sakura shuffled awkwardly towards the kitchen. 

“I’m gonna… take some crates out front.” 

Neither paid attention as Sakura walked past once again, arms full as he stepped outside. 

Jun pulled his eyes away from Tatsuya to look down at his phone. A dubious expression crossed his face. He was hesitant to touch it. Tatsuya could almost feel the frantic way he must have been sorting through his thoughts. It was there. It had to be. He could recognize the missing piece but not which one was supposed to fit. Tatsuya swallowed down the answer. 

A sudden yell ripped their attention towards the door. Tatsuya immediately stood from his stool, the legs scraping against the hardwood. He could just make out the shape of Sakura from outside. He looked down to Jun at his side, hand already spread out on his shoulder. Their eyes met and Tatsuya saw that firm desire to understand. Tatsuya stepped away, hand dragging and slipping off Jun’s shoulder. Jun’s fingers immediately started running over the face of his wristwatch. 

The door hadn’t even banged shut behind him before Tatsuya stared dumbstruck beside Sakura. They both stare up at a thick cloudy sky as it sprinkles down a strange pink liquid. A heavy metallic smell hung in the air as the liquid pools around them and in the streets and gutters. Tatsuya fought the urge to gag against the putrid smell. It was familiar. 

“What the hell is this?” Sakura stammered at Tatsuya’s side. He barely had a grip on the crates in his arms. They both watched a couple walk past, chatting excitedly. 

“Can you believe that?” the young woman said. Her voice is too cheery. They both walked past a large malformed bone jutting from the sidewalk. 

“Yeah, how crazy were people to believe in that crap,” the man said as he flipped open an umbrella and held it over the two of them. They turn the corner and get lost in the crowd. Everyone kept walking. Tatsuya stared in astonishment. 

“They don’t see this,” Tatsuya muttered under his breath. He couldn’t pull his eyes away from the street. The strange rain poured down and morbid bone-like structures started to creep up through the cement and out of the buildings. People walked past. Some eyed him as though his staring was the strange thing in the back alley. 

It was too much. People ignoring the absurdity around them, denying the disgusting state the world was turning toward, it felt too familiar. He turned back to Sakura. Distressed worry weighed heavy on him and they shared a nervous look. He needed to find Akira and his friends. 

The bell of the cafe tolled. Tatsuya turned and Jun stepped outside. Neither looked away from each other. That alone made the burning knot tangle even tighter around his neck. His hand dug into his pocket and he clenched the zippo until his hand ached. He needed to go find Akira, but leaving Jun like this was out of the question. 

“Tatsuya, what’s going on?” Jun’s dark eyes didn’t leave his. They didn’t acknowledge the unnatural rainfall or what seems to be a rib cage protruding from the main street. He focused on the conflict creasing Tatsuya’s brow, hands twitching at his side. Jun wanted touch. Tatsuya’s lips pursed, fighting for the right answer. Sakura noticed what an odd thing it was for Jun to say. Tatsuya prayed he wouldn’t say anything. He had to beat him to it. 

An idea sparked. Tatsuya clung to it. 

“Shibuya.” 

“What?”

He took hold of Jun’s hand and started guiding him towards the main street. Jun did not fight it. 

“We need to go.” 

Whether Jun fully understood the implications or not, he kept stride with Tatsuya. His hand was firm around his own. Tatsuya found his steps more sure as he weaved them through the crowd. It wouldn’t take much. It couldn’t. Jun’s fingers tightened at Tatsuya’s fretting and he remembered to breathe again. 

The station was bustling. Tatsuya wasn’t sure if this was the average amount of foot traffic or if the superficial holiday had anything to do with drawing out the crowd. The pungent odor of whatever had changed in the world felt thicker down in the underground station. Tatsuya had a suspicion as to why. With forced even breaths he managed to keep his stomach from turning over. The disgusting pink liquid sloshed against the rails as the train pulled in. He couldn’t look away. 

An announcement rung overhead and the mob boarded the train. The car was packed and the doors slid shut. Liquid managed to seep through the cracks and hinges. It pools over the floor and in the seats people sat in. Tatsuya gripped a handrail tight as he looked away.

Fingers splayed out across his lower back, settling at the hem of Tatsuya’s leather jacket. Jun looked out the window at the passing steel and concrete. He focused on it. The overhead lights hung heavy over that intense gaze. 

“What are we doing here?” Tatsuya asked again as he leaned into Jun’s personal space, low and just under his breath. Jun didn’t flinch. 

“To visit Akira,” he repeated. The hand at Tatsuya’s back clenched the leather tight. He kept staring out the window. Tatsuya caught the faint shake of his head. Jun’s brows furrowed deeper. 

“Why?”

Jun didn’t respond. It wasn’t good enough.

“Jun. Please,” Tatsuya begged as he leaned in closer, eyeing across the subway car. So many people had crammed themselves in here, kept their heads down and kept to themselves. More of the foul liquid kept seeping through the bottom the door. Tatsuya didn’t notice himself instinctively pulling Jun closer. “I need you to remember.  _ He _ needs it.”

Something shifted. The train jostled and Jun’s movements were stiff and direct as he dug out his phone from the pocket the his large cardigan. He stared down at the lock screen. It was an old photo of a photo. Akira was still young, still small enough to comfortably sit in Tatsuya’s lap. Jun’s thumb hovered over that bright laughing smile as Tatsuya pressed a firm playful kiss to a round cheek. Jun sighed. He swiped his thumb over the cracked screen to unlock it and impatiently stared at the collection of apps. 

The pieces are there. Jun stilled.

“What am I missing?” Jun muttered to himself with a bite of irritation. Tatsuya wanted to pull him close. He wanted to bury his face in Jun’s hair and tell him everything. His hand stayed where it sat on Jun’s hip. He watched Jun finally open his photo album. He started scrolling through the photos, focused on each passing one, like digging through dusty memories. He stopped abruptly. 

The photo he pulled up is not old. He had taken it days before Tatsuya had left to stay in the city with Akira. It was a candid photo. Tatsuya had not known Jun had taken at the time. It was him, standing in the kitchen over the stove, hair half tied up in a lazy pony tail. Tatsuya wasn’t sure why that had made Jun pause, but Jun’s breath hitched and his fingers spread across the screen to zoom in. Tatsuya ran a heavy hand up Jun’s back. 

On the wall behind him, in the kitchen space by the small window, hung a framed sheet of a pressed flower. On either side ran down familiar scrawled notes: a date, the flower name, and memories associated with it. Jun kept staring. His eyes softened, tender as his hand slipped away from Tatsuya’s back to cradle his phone. 

“He gave me that,” Jun said. Tatsuya intently watched Jun’s face, seeing the first sparks of realization light. Their eyes meet and Jun’s were wide and bright with clarity. “After what happened in the subway.” Tatsuya can’t hear anything but Jun’s voice. “He gave me the peony. We’re here because—” He cut himself off as his face twisted with disgust. A hand slaps over his mouth. Jun looked down and finally noticed the putrid liquid seeping everywhere. Tatsuya grabbed his arm to keep him from jerking away too far. A woman standing next to them glanced Jun’s way at his sudden movements and tried to shift away subtly. 

Tatsuya squeezed his arm and Jun breathed deeply. His shoulders squared and he carefully lowered his hand. Tatsuya catches Jun’s eye and Jun understood. 

If anyone asked, they might be able to play it off as motion sickness. But no one was even looking anymore. Jun reached across himself to place a hand overtop Tatsuya’s still holding his arm. His thumb rubbed over his fingers.

Tatsuya dug out his phone and looked through his recent messages. Jun watched as patiently as his urgency would allow if his firm grip on Tatsuya’s free hand was anything to go by. There was nothing new. 

“I’m not sure what’s going on,” Tatsuya finally started. “Or where he is.” Admitting that felt like barbed wire. Glancing out over the crowd once again, Tatsuya shoved his phone into his back pocket. His stuffed his hand into the front one. The metal of the lighter was cool and his thumb ran along the engraved side of it. 

Jun nodded. The train ride continued in silence. Tatsuya tried to keep his eyes down. It was hard not to fidget and move as he listened to the wet sounds of people adjusting in their seats or the way the liquid sloshed around in the car. 

The announcement of the approaching station caught his attention over the disconcerting noises and the hum of the tracks. The crowd shifted and got ready for the move. Jun watched the station pull in through the window on the sliding doors. If Tatsuya was honest, he wasn’t sure exactly what he planned to do once they got to the station square. Whatever means of traversing the worlds Akira and the other have, they don’t have any sort of access to. But the doors slide open. The crowd shift and changed. 

As they stepped onto the platform, Jun took the lead. Tatsuya followed him through the crowd. Jun’s hand pressed against his chest, and Tatsuya wondered if he noticed. This wasn’t just some strange phenomena. More of that strange pink liquid cascaded down the staircase and around bones protruding around the handrails. It felt too much like the Metaverse. 

A foul taste settled in the back of his throat more pungent than the air. 

Their shoes splash against the flowing liquid running down the stairs. It was worse than Yongen. It rained down in sheets over the abnormal bones that jutted from the concrete and buildings. A set, like rocky ribs, encircled the Buchiko memorial like a macabre grotto. Tatsuya looked out to the crosswalk. Something that resembled a spinal column arched across the sky between towers, leading to a strange tower he did not recognize. It resembled a colosseum or temple of some sort. Everyone walked on, caught up in their own lives like cattle.

His fists clenched at his sides. Blunt nails dug into the meat of his palm. Tatsuya wanted to yell. 

“Is this what I’m like?” 

Everything stopped. Tatsuya turned to Jun. He was staring towards the smoking area beside the memorial. Following his line of sight, he must be staring at the woman with a cigarette dangling from her lips, leaning against one of the rotting bones. She was absorbed in whatever was on her phone. A group of kids passed by and gather in the impromptu grotto. 

Jun pulled away from the group and looked up to Tatsuya apologetically. 

“When I lose myself and forget. Is this what it’s like for you?” 

Words caught in Tatsuya’s throat as his heart ached. Jun looks away, and Tatsuya hoped he didn’t take that as an answer itself. Jun looked down to his wrist, fingers running reverently along the smooth face of the watch he still wore. That itself should have been his answer. 

“You always come back.” Tatsuya’s voice was sure. Jun met his eyes. The faint beginnings of a reassured smile tugged at his lips. 

Their staring started to garner stares of their own. Jun looked away casually, arms crossing over his chest. Tatsuya took the opportunity to look over the entrance they just stepped out of. The rain dripped down from the overhang. Tatsuya couldn’t tell if it had grown any thicker since Yongen. Jun sighed at his side as he glanced over it as well. A curled finger rested against his chin as he considered something. 

“You feel it too, right?” Tatsuya asked suddenly. He kept a critical eye on that entryway. “The way everything… changed.” 

Jun hand fell from his chin to cross back over his chest as he raised his head. He subtly nodded. It was that all too familiar old spark. An extension of themselves they had almost lost. It solidified his concerns when Tatsuya thought calling upon Apollo would not be such a difficult task. Jun must have the same thought. 

People do not see they were wading through blood and bones with fragile smiles on their face. 

“It’s almost as if the city has shifted back to how things used to be. Or maybe that other world is spilling into this one.” Jun kept his voice low. His brows furrowed deeply as he sat on his own words. He might have come to a similar conclusion as Tatsuya. This entrance may have been their best bet to find out what had happened to their son and his friends, but it just left them stumped. This was not their world and they lacked the proper key from the very beginning. It may have been a wild goose chase. 

There had to be something. Tatsuya’s thumb flicked open the lighter he dug out from his pocket. It snapped shut. Tatsuya looked out to the crosswalk. He recalled the small flashes of an eerily familiar blue. 

“The door.” 

Confusion crossed Jun’s face. He soon caught on. They both move together towards the side street they had gotten coffee on with Akira.

“It was locked last we checked,” Jun said. When the light turned green for pedestrians, he took the lead. Tatsuya followed close behind, passing by people and weaving through the crowd in their rush. That door had been solid. It felt wrong. Nothing about it was reminiscent of what he had come to know of that strange place except that ethereal blue.

The downtown street was busy. Common chatter came from each and every corner. It reeked of that pungent rotting smell as foul liquid ran through the streets. They kept their pace quick, sticking close to the buildings. A suspicious part of his mind told Tatsuya that it wouldn’t have mattered. They paused at the alley next to the crepe store. Tatsuya took one last glance out at the crowds and stores lining the street. 

It felt like a very real possibility that people wouldn’t notice. Any strange action they do would, no one would bat an eye at as everyone was too caught up in their own delusional sense of security. A spark in his chest flared and he knew Apollo would be too real here. If their Personae could manifest, then other aspects of the human psyche could as well. The implications nagged at him. 

Jun tugged on his arm, pulling him into the alleyway. He dropped the line of thought. 

The pink liquid flooded the space between buildings, soaking into the piles of garbage littered about the alley. The door stood proudly, a bright disconcerting blue against the reds that overtook the brick walls and bones growing from cracked cement. Despite the strange liquid being just over ankle deep, it avoided the door, seemingly repelled by the fervent light. Jun was about to step toward it, but Tatsuya pulled him back. Before he can ask, Tatsuya pointedly looked away as a door to a store further down the alley opened. A gruff looking man stood at the storefront. As he pulled out his phone, he suddenly paused.

“What the hell…” the man roughly muttered. He turned his head up towards the sky between the tall buildings. His eyes grew wide as his face fell in horror. Tatsuya tried not to stare. He must not be blind. Something must have crossed the man’s mind as he suddenly dashed for the main street. Tatsuya pushed Jun and himself out of the man’s way as they watched him leave. 

That spark inside of him burned a little hotter. That man could see the world for what it was. The possibility of other people seeing it as well just exponentially increased. Tatsuya had no clue who that man was or what he was capable of, but he hadn’t sensed anything strange or familiar from him. If regular people were starting to notice, then the odds of mass panic happening was becoming more likely. This could become much more dangerous in too many ways. 

They need to find Akira before this false sense of peace shattered any more.

Jun pulled away and they both approached the jail door. It was just as before: a cold lonely iron gate between here and what should be a reprieve. Its appearance weighed heavy on their consciences.

Tatsuya stepped forward and took an unflinching hold of one of the bars. It was cold, yet a warmth tingled just underneath that felt unnatural. He tugged. It didn’t even rattle. He grabbed with both hands, standing firmly grounded as he tried once again to jostle the door. It remained unmoving. 

“Wait.” Jun gently motioned Tatsuya’s hands away from the door as he stepped forward. He crouched down and examined the lock critically. Something told him it had been more of a physical representation of a metaphorical concept. Picking the lock would be out of the question.

Jun’s fingers run along the smooth metal of one of the bars running down the door. Tatsuya knew that look in his eye. Jun turned to him and Tatsuya knew what he was planning. 

“We can’t open it,” Jun started, pulling himself up to stand. “But maybe we can pry it.” Tatsuya nodded and immediately looked for any sort of leverage, like a piece of metal on the garbage or a discarded pipe. As Jun moved a trash can, he paused. He stepped towards the bike racks further down the alley. Tatsuya stopped and watched when he noticed Jun standing in front of the store. Jun hesitated when he looked back and met Tatsuya’s hard stare. He disappeared into the building. 

From the look of it, it seemed to be either a surplus store or possibly models and military collectables. Odds are, something useful to them would be in there. 

The door slammed close behind Jun as he hurried back to the iron gate. A heavy crowbar hung from his hand. He offered no apology for the theft and if Tatsuya was honest with himself, he hadn’t expected one. Jun held out the crowbar and Tatsuya took it.

Tatsuya adjusted his grip on the rough metal bar as he stood in front of the cell door. It felt ironic to be here like this. Something about it fueled him. He reeled back and jammed the flat end of the crowbar between the frame and the lock. The metallic bang reverberated, shaking deep with him. Tatsuya had to pause as it felt as though it struck down to his very soul. He pushed it down, not having time to spend on what it meant. 

But the metal door didn’t relent. Tatsuya put his whole weight into each forceful and ultimately futile push until Jun placed his hands on the crowbar. Tatsuya stopped. 

“The bars.” Jun tilted his head towards the door. “I doubt we’ll be able to get the door open, but it may be possible to pry the bars apart just enough for me to slip through.” Tatsuya looked him over, then down to the opposing metal. “I think I can almost make it as is. Just a little further and I can do it.”

Tatsuya sat on it longer than he should have. There would be no way for his bulker body to fit through as well. Jun would be going in alone. 

Jun’s hands felt so firm and steady over his on the cold metal. Tatsuya loosened his grip on the crowbar and nodded. 

“Switch sides with me.” 

Jun stood in front of the gate and Tatsuya took his place on the lock’s edge, placing the crowbar between two of the iron rods running the height of the door. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and gripped the crowbar tight in his hands.

With a deep breath, Tatsuya pulled at the crowbar. Nothing changed. The crowbar hadn’t even shifted against the force. As he pulled, hands and arms aching, a part of him nagged this was useless. As difficult as real metal would be to bend, this was otherworldly. Tatsuya swallowed down a groan as he yanked, fighting against that fatalistic voice. 

He paused when he felt another pair of hands join his, Jun pushing as Tatsuya pulled. He found himself grounded once again. 

And something snapped. The ring echoed oddly through the alley, as though he was hearing it vibrating underwater. The crowbar shifted and an iron bar finally groaned. It was hollow and reverberated deep in Tatsuya’s chest, gripping tight to his heart. 

Just a few more groans of metal and the crowbar clattered to the pavement. They both stared at the bent bars, Tatsuya’s breath caught in his throat as everything around them turned to white noise. Jun looked down at the gap they had made and stared through to the space just beyond. Despite the bright glow, the void beyond didn’t look so empty. 

Tatsuya looked back towards the entrance to the alley. His suspicions only grew when no one batted an eye at them. He doubted they would have noticed in the first place. He thought back to that man. Tatsuya thought he had heard a name on his breath when he ran past. 

“Tatsuya.” 

He pried his eyes away and looked back to the door. Jun was about halfway through the door between the two bars. A hand gripped one of the rods as he held himself steady. His eyes were searching Tatsuya’s. Sympathy burdened his face. Tatsuya knew he was worried over it as well, but there was a bigger picture to look at. Tatsuya wanted to help. There was nothing to do. Jun adjusted his stance.

“Push me,” Jun gently prompted. He managed to get his chest past, but the bars are still too tight for his hips to pass through. Tatsuya tired to be gentle while Jun pushed against the bars and he finally slipped through. He stumbled, but caught himself. Tatsuya stared. Jun righted himself and stared down the corridor that stretched on into the blinding light. He took one step forward, as though being beckoned before he fought against the strings and pulled himself away to turn back to the door and Tatsuya. 

His hand reached out to grab one of the bars. Tatsuya did the same and swallowed down the hesitation. He can hear the reassurance in the way Jun smiled. He didn’t doubt that Jun would find their son. Worry gnawed at his heart, but he knew better. 

A scream pulled them both away. Tatsuya whipped around to look towards the street. It sounded as though it had come from the square, or in that direction. He quickly turned back to Jun, eyes pleading and torn. Jun quickly covers Tatsuya’s hand with his own over the bar. He nodded firmly. 

“Go help people any way you can. I’ll find Akira. I promise.”

Jun’s watch caught the light and his eyes were so sure. 

“If you’re not back by the end of the day, I’m coming in there.” 

“I believe you.”

That hand squeezed tighter before fingers slid off when Jun stepped back from the door. Tatsuya only hesitated a breath before he ran out of the alleyway. The touch lingered. It burned the skin and he clung to it. 

He couldn’t follow Jun, but as he ran down the street past countless faceless people, Tatsuya could at least do this. His feet splash heavily in the thickening liquid filling the street. He could almost feel the precarious precipice starting to tip. 

A commotion rose from just beyond the square, more yelling and more panicked screams, and he quickly turned toward it. If he guessed, it must have come from that strange tower he saw earlier, scraping against the clouds. His heart pounded against his ribs.

That was were he needed to go. A spark in his heart was pulling him toward it, Apollo urging him to go. 

He felt the surge within him, pushing him to move faster and ignoring the disgusting splashing. With each person he passed, the weight of their negligence piled on. He tried not to think of his own. A nudge pushed him out of that train of thought. Jun would have gently chastised him for it. The irony pushed him to run faster and he only just realized that more and more people were watching him. 

The world may not be as blind as he thought. 

More of those bone-like stone structures erupted from the plaza, encircling a small clearing of debris. He stopped abruptly when he saw a few people flee the area. It looked like a disfigured spinal column that had crashed into the ground and stretched out to the imposing building, shrouded by a whirling fog. People walk around the clearing, avoiding it all together as though walking around caution tape at a crime scene. A few people stop, startled, only to realize what exactly they are in fact seeing and run in horror. 

Apollo pulls his attention away from them and he looked up. There was movement up on some of the higher platforms, like louse crawling along the bones. Tatsuya caught the glimpse of what looked like golden metallic wings. Whatever sort of demon it was, the feeling he got from it was undeniable. 

He took a decisive step forward toward the column. Some of those golden angelic figures were slowly making their way down the platforms. He didn’t have a weapon on hand, but his heart flared and Apollo rose above him. 

_ He’ll come back _ , he thought, gripping tight the lighter in his hand as he stared down a golden helmet, red eyes gleaming through the faceplate.


	3. Omake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- おまけ

The silence of the corridor called to him. Jun faced the imposing void of light. 

He stepped down the long hall, feet light and quick as though a tailwind carried him. There was no echo, no click of his heels. The quiet between the cold concrete of the walls was unnatural. His hand brushed against it and they felt cold, though buzzed with a warmth that felt as though it had once been there. It was a fuzzy feeling. It was almost familiar. 

The hall seemed to never end. Voices finally emerged from the muffled silence. They were too faint, too distorted to make sense of. But one was deep. It filled Jun with an all too familiar dread yet he somehow knew he had never heard it before. The blinding lights finally relent like fog lifting after a storm, and Jun could make out what looked to be the inside of a jail cell. He bit down rushing forward and the sense of guilt. 

“Welcome to the Velvet Room,” an old wisp of a voice echoed throughout the hall to the large empty room just beyond the cell. It was a welcome home to a weary heart and Jun couldn’t help but move forward. His steps finally sounded as he walked just beyond the broken cell door. Joker quickly turned. 

Even behind that white mask, those damp gray eyes were wide. A tired aire of exhaustion hung over him like a heavy blanket. 

“My, it would seem a ‘welcome back’ is in order as well.” 

Joker stared, dumbstruck. A familiar and distressing look was in his eyes that Jun had seen before. Joker—Akira—is stressed. Well beyond what any teenager should feel. He looked ready to fall apart and Jun choked back his aching heart.

“What are you doing here?” His son asked. His voice wavered with the effort to keep it steady. Jun looked between him, the young girl in blue at his side, and the strange familiar man with those sharp knowing eyes. For once the blue of the Velvet Room was heavy. It had turned to a burden on the occupants and the looming jail cells and disturbingly empty. This place, gently nestled between consciousness and dreams, was not the sanctuary it was supposed to be. Jun looked back to his son, weary and surrounded by the oppressive blue. Jun wished he had done more.

But he was here now. 

“I needed to find you,” Jun said. 

A shadow of a smile tugged at Akira’s face. 

“It would seem the flame of rebellion still burns brightly within you,” the young girl said with a gentle smile and observant golden eyes. Something about her reminded Jun of the residences he had once known. But whatever she had meant by that, it was left behind. Akira shoved his mask out of his face and into his messy hair. He beelined for Jun. They caught each other in a tight embrace. Red gloves clingged tight to Jun’s tan cardigan. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Akira mumbled into Jun’s shoulder. Jun carded his fingers through the curls of Akira’s hair. 

“Whatever for?” There were a few things that crossed his mind that he could guess Akira would want to apologize for. Jun felt no need for them. Akira pulled away and Jun looked up at that somber, wet look in Akira’s defeated eyes. Breath catching, Jun cupped Akira’s face between his hands. Akira just breathed, staggered and deliberate, and Jun patiently rubbed a thumb over the curve of Akira’s cheek. It was no longer as round as it used to be. 

Akira bit into his lower lip as he fidgeted, fighting for the words he seemed to struggle with finding. 

“I’m— Ah. I’m not as strong as everyone thinks I am. Needs me to be,” Akira finally admitted between them. His hands reached up and red gloves grab on to Jun’s wrists. They did not pull him away. “It tried to make a deal with me, and I… I almost took it.” He shamefully whispered. “I almost gave everything up just for the easy way out.” He bit into his lip once again as his eyes screw shut. 

Jun gently pulled one hand away and smoothed out those unruly bangs, brushing them aside.

“Then you are stronger than I was at your age.” 

Akira’s breath hitched and he looked up. He was met with Jun’s soft, yet steady eye. Jun smiled and it did nothing to quell the quiet and distraught confusion written in Akira’s knit brows. 

Jun slipped his hands away and took Akira’s in his own. He looked down at the vibrant red, seemingly glowing in contrast to the ethereal blue. Red was a color that had always looked good and fitting on Akira. Jun was glad he had not been wrong about that. But as he smiled down at those hands in his, they no longer fit in the palm of Jun’s. He cannot wrap his own completely around it as he guides him across a street, or encompass it as he shows him how to hold a pencil and write his own name. They had become strong in their own right, capable of elegantly mastering a knife in a battle and in the kitchen. They’ve pushed him up each and every time he had fallen. 

With a sense of calm, Jun looked up and placed a hand overtop his son’s. He kept smiling. 

“Despite your temptation, do you believe you stayed true to your ideals?”

Akira hesitated.

“I—I think so.”

“Then I’m proud of you.” 

Akira’s hands tightened in his own as he let that sink in. Jun didn’t doubt he would come around. 

“Whatever happens,” Jun started again, patting Akira’s hands, “know that Tatsuya and I will always be there, right behind you.” Jun stood up straight, squaring his shoulders and holding his head high, prompting Akira to do the same. He followed suit. 

A chuckle rung through the room. Igor sat behind his desk, hands folded neatly under that large, pointed nose as he smiled knowingly at them. 

“How intriguing that the son of one who fought and defied fate himself is destined for the same. Truly fascinating.” That smile of his had always been uncanny. Jun fought down the discomfort of the man’s words, disliking the implications. He did not want to believe Igor had a hand in all this, though evidence seemed to point otherwise thankfully.

Akira took a deep, steadying breath. He lowered his mask over his eyes once again. Joker stood confidently. 

“We need to get back,” Jun said. “Tatsuya will come looking for us if we don’t get back to him soon.” Joker didn’t move. 

“I need to find my friends.”

Jun paused.

“They’re here as well?”

The young girl stepped forward. The book she carried was almost as large as her torso.

“Yes,” she answered for Joker. She looked up to him, a stern look to her petite face, “However, as you need reaffirmation of your actions and will, they too may need you to help guide them back.” She spoke with a calmness to her soft voice that carried a wisdom far beyond her childlike tone. “They are all just beyond here and they need you.” She motioned to a doorway across the circular room that lead to branching halls. Further down is a large staircase. Jun could see a red glow just above. 

Joker nodded. As he took a step towards it, Akira looked back to Jun. Jun nodded and Joker ran off towards the halls, coat tails trailing behind him as he fixed a vibrant red glove.

**Author's Note:**

> [@hawkeing_eta](https://twitter.com/hawkeing_eta) on twitter


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